Shillong, Aug 25: The state government has decided to allot a plot of land in Mawlai measuring 5,000 square feet to the Khasi Authors Society (KAS) for construction of its office building.
“In view of the continuous struggle for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and on the basis of several discussions that we have had with the KAS, we have now in the department of Arts and Culture decided that we will allot a plot of land measuring 5000 sq ft to the KAS for the construction of its office building at the Tribal Research Institute at Mawlai, Iewrynghep,” Arts and Culture Minister Paul Lyngdoh told reporters on Friday.
“We believe this will also help in strengthening our preparation for the inclusion of the Khasi language along with Garo language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India,” he said
To a question, Lyngdoh said, “A lot of efforts have been made and will be made. I’m aware of those because I am also a member of KAS. In fact in the month of December, the KAS is organizing a national seminar in Delhi to propagate and strengthen its claim for inclusion of Khasi in the eight schedule and they will be staging a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, things like that. So it is not just government alone or building alone we are also doing our part. I have also been writing to the Centre.”
“I think what needs to be done, I do not want to lay the blame on anybody but a language that has been studied at the graduation level in the Calcutta University in 1900 certainly deserves that status,” he added.
